Operation Rebekah
by TanyaVDG
Summary: AU/AH. Caroline Forbes will bring down her nemesis, Rebekah Mikaelson, no matter what. If she needs to use Rebekah's unknown older brother in order to do that, then so be it. Too bad Klaus Mikaelson isn't one to be played. PreTVD-ish Caroline.
1. Average at best

"Who is he, again?"

Head cheerleader Caroline Forbes was standing in the middle of the Mystic Falls High schoolyard, surrounded by her fellow cheerleaders when something - or more like someone - catched her eye while scrolling through her news feed. A few of her friends leaned closer to her phone curiously.

"Who, him?" Amanda pointed to the picture of the mysterious guy that had piqued Caroline's curiosity.

"Yeah, right next to that sleazy bitch."

By 'sleazy bitch' she referred to no other than Rebekah Mikaelson, her most hated rival and current girlfriend of star quarterback Matt Donovan, also known as Caroline's ex-boyfriend. Also known as the asshole who ditched her for that bitch a month ago.

"His older brother, Niklaus. Moved here from abroad a few weeks earlier." Of course Vicky Donovan would know that; after all, his brother dated Rebekah, Caroline thought irritatedly. The question whether Vicky and Rebekah were already besties was on the tip of her tongue but she managed to resist the urge and just raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Then why isn't he tagged?"

"He doesn't believe in social media. Probably doesn't have an account."

Caroline looked up from her phone and scoffed incrediously. "Is he for real? Anyway, how would you know that, Vic?"

Suddenly Vicky occupied herself with studying her nails but failed to show any interest in them which made it crystal clear she was avoiding eye-contact on purpose.

"I might have met him at the Mik... At a party."

"Riiight."

At that moment Caroline wanted to strangle Vicky on the spot, she truly, really did. They used to be close before Matt decided that his and Caroline's relationship was over and moved onto Rebekah quickly, the new hot thing in town. _Now she hangs out with that skank already? It's been a month, for heaven's sake!_

But before she could have started a commotion, one of the girls squealed excitedly, "Ooof, he's hot!"

"He is average at best, Mandy, anyone with eyes could see that", Caroline snapped at the poor girl, then turned back to Vicky. "I wonder where could I bump into him?"

"Why?" Vicky couldn't hide the smirk on her face. "Are you into him? Are you into 'average', Care?"

"Duh, please. Hardly. Besides, he is a Mikaelson. I'm genetically programmed not to like him."

"Then what's your deal?"

"I have my reasons." Oh, she did have her reasons. After everything Rebekah Mikaelson had put her through since she dared to move into _her_ town a year ago, steal first the Miss Mystic Falls title from her, then her boyfriend, she had no choice but bring her down. Hard. "I just want to say hi, that's all."

She had the perfect plan to sabotage Rebekah for good but she needed help and this Niklaus fit into that plan perfectly, even if he didn't know that. Even if he would never participate if he knew.

"He draws and paints all the time. That's all I have. You could try the drawing room."

A huge, satisfied smile appeared on Caroline's face but her blue eyes remained ice cold.

"Perfect."


	2. Obvious and petty

_A/N: Just chiming in to warn you that I've changed the rating to M, just to be safe. Also, this is not a cute story, at least at this point it isn't. As you will soon see the main characters aren't nice people. If it's not your cup of tea, it's not too late to stop here. Although always short, updates on a daily basis!_

* * *

"You know mate, when you buy something from me, you pay for it. And if you don't, I will make you pay."

Klaus Mikaelson was having a bad day. All he wanted to do was take off and crawl back to his room accompanied by some beer to cure his massive hangover, but his hopes were getting lower and lower by the minute. His new buyer wasn't willing to pay for the... let's say, substances he had ordered and it was getting clear Klaus had to demonstrate power if he wanted to get his money. Although usually he didn't mind putting on a little bit of show, he didn't feel like it at the moment.

The prick laughed out loud, obviously not threatened by Klaus. Soon he would realize how wrong he was. "Then make me."

The first punch went straight into his dumb face.

* * *

"Is this skanky enough?"

"Skanky enough for what?"

"To seduce someone."

"Already? Isn't the grief period supposed to last longer?"

"You are one to talk, Katherine Pierce! You were all over his brother just days after you broke up with Stefan."

"It was his brother. It doesn't count as long as it stays in the family."

"You are crazy."

Caroline whirled around in the revealing black dress one more time while admiring herself in the fitting room mirror. As always, she was satisfied with what she saw. She also brought along her best friend to help her choose from the endless supply of short and lacy dresses although Katherine proved to be little to no help as she barely ever looked up from her phone. Caroline was getting annoyed with her.

"Would you put that down for a minute? It's an emergency, Kat!"

The answer was nothing but a sarcastic smile. "You know you look hot. Do you really need me to spell it out for you?"

"Of course I do! Who are you texting anyway?"

"Try sexting. And it's none of your business."

Caroline sighed impatiently and crossed her arms, although she wasn't really offended by Katherine's rude comment; the base of their friendship was being generally horrible but always honest to each other. So far it had been working out perfectly.

Finally Katherine rolled her eyes and put down her cherry red phone. "Fine, you look smoking, babe! Satisfied?"

"You bet."

"And who would the poor victim be this time?"

"None of your business."

"Touché", Katherine laughed at her. „If you don't want to brag, it's gotta be scandalous!"

"Bingo."

"Ooh, come on, tell me about it! Is he one of Matt's friends? Is this some revenge ploy? Because if it is, then count me in."

Caroline smirked at her mischievously. "It's a revenge ploy, but it's not one of his friends. That would be so obvious and petty."

"True. Then who?"

"You will see soon."


	3. Basic treatment

_A/N: Wow, I'm on a roll with this story, hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Also, I'm not writing solely for the feedback, but it would be nice to get some. Please?_

* * *

Maybe she overdid with the make-up, she thought. Maybe the heels were a little bit too high. Maybe the dress was tacky. And maybe... maybe this wasn't a good plan at all. A million thoughts crossed Caroline's mind while she was sitting outside the drawing room, pretending to be deeply lost in some shallow magazin but being very much aware of her surroundings. She knew she was stared at by every single people who walked past her, wistfully by boys, jealously by girls, but she paid no mind to them; she wasn't here for their amusement. She was on a mission of seducing Niklaus Mikaelson and she wouldn't take no for an answer. But since he failed to show up for more than an hour she started to have second thoughts.

 _I'll just come back later_ , she decided and prepared to leave, but just as she stood up, the man in question turned round the corner and Caroline had to sit back down because she wasn't prepared for him to have such a... strong effect on her.

Definitely not average.

 _You are here to seduce him, not to drool all over him_ , she reminded herself and forced a pleasant expression on her face. She crossed her legs provocatively and pulled down the top of her dress discreetly. _This should be easy_ , she thought, and she even batted her eyelashes at him.

He stormed past her without even sparing her a sideways glance.

 _Fucker._

But Caroline Forbes wasn't the kind of girl who gave up easily. By the end of the day she would get into the Mikaelson mansion, no matter what.

"Niklaus Mikaelson?" Now that made him stop. He turned around slowly and looked her down then up quizically but clearly appreciatively. Feeling already victorious, Caroline flashed her sweetest smile at him. "Just the man I was looking for."

* * *

Klaus stopped dead in his tracks and turned around when he'd heard his name echo through the corridor.

A stunning blonde sat there with the hottest face and body he had possibly ever seen and she smiled right at him with a huge, fake smile despite not knowing him at all. Later he would remember that his first thought when he saw her was, _This girl is trouble_ , and he would chuckle at the memory somewhat bitterly _._

But she was also _effing_ hot so he was happy to disregard his basic instincts and smiled back hungrily.

"Do I know you, love?"

The girl raised her eyebrow suggestively.

"Not yet, but I was hoping it would change soon."

 _Pushy little thing._ He liked her already.

She uncrossed her leg and stretched it just a second longer than it was necessary, giving him a chance to examine her perfectly toned thighs and calves, then stood up and took a few steps in his direction, swaying her hips invitingly all the while. She stopped just an inch closer to him than it would have been proper and held out her hand like a queen would offer it to a peasant. In spite of the offensive undertones he didn't hesitate to grab and kiss it. _So she liked to play._ He liked to play too.

"Caroline Forbes."

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Caroline?"

She wrapped a curl of impossibly blonde hair coyly around her perfectly manicured finger.

"You seem like the kind of guy who could help a girl out."

"Do I? How so?"

She leaned closer eagerly.

"I have certain needs and I got the impression you could...deliver."

 _Certain needs. Deliver._ That struck a chord with him. So the girl was into drugs. Bad habit, but it wasn't his place to judge; he was a dealer, after all. He smiled at her wolfishly.

'So you've heard about me, sweetheart?"

"You could say that."

"And you want me to 'deliver'?"

She practically purred at this point.

"More than anything."

He closed the remaining distance between them and whispered straight into her ear.

"You want the basic treatment?"

"I hope that treatment is anything but basic."

She was good with words, he had to give her that. If he didn't know better he might have thought she was trying to seduce him.

"But you're not into the hardcore stuff?"

"That depends on what you have to offer."

Okay, so she _was_ into hardcore drugs. _Who is this girl?_ She certainly didn't seem like the kind, but stranger things have happened, he thought, so he just shrugged it off.

"Sorry, love, but it's pretty basic on my end."

She didn't look bothered. The sugarcoated smile never left her face. "Even better."

"All right. Where do we close the deal?"

For the first time since the conversation had started, she seemed confused.

"I thought I would get invited over?"

Klaus chuckled at the suggestion.

"That won't be necessary. I'm prepared", he winked at her and Caroline's expression turned from confused to incredulous but he didn't seem to notice. "I suggest the nearest empty closet." He looked around. "Or here. No one's coming. Quick."

When she failed to answer, he run a hand over his hair impatiently. "What? Do you want it or not? Just give me 20 bucks, love, and we can get down to business. Unless you've changed your mind, of course."

She practically shook with rage at this point. If looks could kill, he would have been surely dead at this point. He just couldn't figure this girl out. _A minute ago she was willing to do anything to get some stuff and now she acts like a butthurt little princess. Strange._

"Do you honestly expect me to pay for it?"

Klaus was running out of patience with her. _Now she doesn't want to pay? Do I look like a bloody fool?_

"Everyone does. When you deal with me, you are no exception." He looked her up and down again, his eyes eventually settling at her cleavage. "Not even if you are so ridiculously hot."

He wasn't prepared for the hard slap he got from her the next moment. Nor for the kick to his groin. He fell to his knees, covering his painful parts with his hand.

"If you were sane, you would jump at the opportunity to have sex with me, not ask for money, you moron."

With that she stormed away furiously on her impossibly high heels, but this time without swaying her hips.

 _Have sex with her? What the hell just happened?_


	4. Way out of her league

"You haven't really thought it through, now have you, Forbes?" Caroline scoffed miserably at her own reflection. She splashed a handful of cold water into her burning face to help her cool down but it didn't really make a difference given it couldn't wash down the shame and regret. _I propositioned a drug dealer for sex. Way to go, Caroline, you goddamn idiot. If this gets out, you're dead._

After the incident she did what she should have done in the first place and asked around about him in certain social circles. Klaus Mikaelson's reputation was far from immaculate, although it had only been a few weeks since he had moved to Mystic Falls. In that short span of time he had managed to start selling weed, get into numerous fights and get drunk frequently. And she practically threw herself at this guy who she had known nothing about except he was a Mikaelson and somewhat hot. _Scratch that, he was impossibly hot._ This has got to be my new low, she thought.

She couldn't believe she was willing to go through with this madness only to bring down Rebekah. She was so blinded by her desire to get revenge that she forgot how to think altogether. _What was my plan anyway? What if he invited me over? Would I have really slept with him just to get into the Mikaelson mansion?_

"No, I wouldn't have", she said to her own reflection but it wasn't very convincing. "Well, I _probably_ wouldn't have."

Her plan was to find an excuse to get into the Mikaelsons' home without attracting any suspicion and needless to say, a 'date' with Klaus would have been the perfect opportunity. She would have had an alibi in case she got caught by his family members: "oh, I just got lost on my way back to Klaus' room, I'm very sorry" or "oh, this wasn't the toilet? I could swear that Klaus said that...". As for Klaus, she could have bailed on him before things turned too adult-themed but not before she had a chance to go through a certain Mikaelsons' room.

But now her plans were doomed, thanks to her inability to at least collect some information before she acted. _I should have just gone for Kol._ As bad as she wanted to get into his house, she couldn't risk getting linked to drug dealers. She had a reputation to maintain.

"No one will ever know about this." And she hoped to God he would hold his tongue.

* * *

"You know, man, sometimes I look at cheerleaders and I think, wow, these girls are very scary, you know… I mean, it's not easy to do these jumps and flips, it takes almost inhuman strength… And they always smile like they know something we don't… What if they smile because they have superpowers? What if they can fly? I don't know, man… I guess what I'm trying to say is cheerleaders actually might be very smart.

"Dude, you are stoned."

Aaron Whitmore broke into a tired laughter and rubbed his eyes with great difficulty.

"You totally are, Jer. Of course they can fly", he yawned. He was asleep within seconds.

Klaus Mikaelson, Aaron Whitmore, Jeremy Gilbert and Mason Lockwood were sitting on the grass outside the Mystic Falls High sports ground, safe distance from school property, but still close enough to see the cheerleading practice clearly while sharing a fat joint on Klaus' expense. To say their train of thought was wrecked was an understatement.

Jeremy held out the cigarette to him but Klaus just shook his head. "Pass. I've had enough." Mason was more than happy to take it.

"Speaking of cheerleaders... Who is the blonde over there?" he pointed to Caroline.

Mason stared in the girls' direction but it was evident he couldn't fully open his eyes anymore.

"Who, Rebekah?"

"Of course I know who my sister is, mate." Klaus sighed jovially.

"Right."

"I meant the other chick."

"That's Caroline Forbes", Jeremy said between two giggles although it was unclear why he was giggling like a maniac at all. _Finally we are getting there_ , Klaus thought _._

"She is seriously hot. Does she have a boyfriend?"

"She's just broken up with Donovan."

"Donovan? My sister's Donovan? The quarterback Donovan?"

"No, Vicky Donovan... What do you think? Of course the quarterback."

Instead of striking back at Mason, Klaus stated confidently, "So she is single."

"She is at the moment. She won't be long, though." Jeremy crushed out the cigarette in the wet grass. "She is a serial dater. She has never been single for more than a few weeks."

" _That_ girl? Really?" Klaus found that hard to believe after the way she basically offered herself on a silver plate - as he eventually found out -, without even knowing him.

"Yeah, man. Why?"

"She seems like the kind of chick who likes to sleep around."

"You wish." Mason smirked at him subtly. "As far as I know, she doesn't. She likes to party, she likes to dress up, but she is a hard-to-get. A hard-to-get and a control freak. Worst combination ever, if you ask me. And she always has a boyfriend."

"Huh. Interesting." He stared at her with a little more intensity than he should have had because Jeremy shook his head immediately.

"Forget it, dude. Don't even try it. She is way out of your league."

"Is she, Gilbert? Enlighten me."

"You are not her type, trust me."

"And what her type would be?"

"Top student, top sportsman, top popularity. She only goes for the very best and only if you are lucky", Mason chuckled.

"Fuck off, mate. I'm a top student. Well, I was, while I bothered to study. And I'm fit."

"You are fit-ish."

"Stop insulting me, Lockwood, or I'll break your nose."

Mason and Jeremy froze in place and stared at Klaus with huge eyes, only to broke into a loud laughter a second later.

"Watch out, Mase, we have a badass over here."

"Stop insulting me, Lockwood, or I'll break your nose", Mason imitated Klaus' threatening speech with a laughable British accent.

"Wankers", Klaus muttered under his nose.

His friends only laughed harder.

* * *

Caroline was having easily the worst cheerleading practice of her life. It wasn't enough that Rebekah showed her off again, starting to threaten her position in the team, but out of all places in Mystic Falls, Klaus Mikaelson had to choose this exact spot to get stoned with some other losers. The mere sight of him made her uncomfortable enough to make several mistakes during practice but when she saw him point to her from the corner of her eyes and his friends started to laugh uncontrollably she knew she had enough.

She stepped out of formation without a word, simply dropping Amanda in the process and headed straight to the group of friends.

"Just where do you think you are going?" Rebekah shouted after her.

The only answer she got was Caroline's middle finger held up in the air.


	5. Stop pretending

"I think she's coming here, isn't she?" Mason asked when he noticed a positively livid Caroline approaching.

"What could she possibly want?" After he took a second glance at her, Jeremy added with mild surprise, "I think she might be angry with us. Strange, huh?"

"Impossible, mate. I think she is about to hit on me. I can tell that blondie over there fancies me."

"In your dreams", Jeremy snorted indignantly.

Klaus sensed the opportunity for a bit of fun and turned to his friends with a devious smile.

"Seriously, I bet you 50 grand she is about confess to already have nasty thoughts about me."

His friends laughed out at once.

"Dude, are you sure there wasn't stronger stuff in that blunt? Are you hallucinating?"

Klaus only shook his head with an arrogant smile on his face.

"Deal or not?"

"Deal. I've never made an easier 50 bucks in my life, loser."

* * *

Caroline's blood was boiling by the sight of the laughing trio and every step she took in their direction only fueled her rage. _I'm going to rip his head off._

It was only when she stopped in front of them that the laughter died on their lips. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, trying her best to look intimidating.

"Care to elaborate?", she asked in an icy tone.

But no matter how angry she looked, Mason Lockwood never shied away from an opportunity to embarrass someone publicly, especially if that someone was a hot girl. He flashed a bold smile at her.

"Actually, yes... My friend here claims that you fantasize about him."

"Does he?" She hardly managed to force two words out of herself without having a hysterical breakdown.

"Yeah. He says you are so into him you can hardly control yourself."

Before she could have answered anything, Klaus winked at her lazily.

"Why not confess, love? See, they already know everything. You can stop pretending."

His friends clearly expected her to instantly deny everything or at least laugh into their smirking faces but his words caught her too off-guard to answer anything at all so she just stood there with a horrified expression on her face. It was a dead giveaway.

Jeremy and Mason broke into an incredulous laughter. Caroline felt the ripples of shame start to break through the hot white rage.

"You." She pointed at Klaus with a shaking hand. "I will kill you for this."

He had the audacity to chuckle good-heartedly at this.

"Suit yourself, sweetheart. That doesn't change the facts."

Caroline gathered the last of her dignity and looked down at them, her eyes eventually settling on Klaus' face.

"Just to be clear, it was a moment of weakness I'll never ever forgive myself as long as I live", she proclaimed, then turned around and left without looking back even once.

Although he was a hero in his friends' eyes at that moment, Klaus couldn't help but feel a little bit of hurt by her last words.


	6. Better version of me

"So...how bad it is?" Caroline peered at Katherine over her almost untouched lunch right after she'd finished to confess everything. When Katherine only shrugged and took a huge bite out of her sandwich instead of answering, Caroline crossed her arms impatiently. "Would you just say something, please?"

"Hmgpgh-"

"Wow. Thanks for the deep and full analysis, Freud."

Katherine rolled her eyes at the other girl but didn't bother to chew faster; food was sacred to her.

It never ceased to amaze Caroline how someone as petite and cute as Katherine Pierce could have an appetite matching a wrestler's. She waited impatiently for the brunette to finish swallowing her food and speak up.

"Umm... Dunno, it could be worse. I mean, I didn't see the drug dealer-thing coming but hey... at least he's hot."

"Semi-hot."

"Come on... A hundred percent hot and a cherry on top. And you know it."

"Fine", Caroline sighed deeply. "Still a drug dealer."

Katherine finally put down her sandwich and glanced at the blonde almost excitedly.

"What's up with that, anyway? Aren't the Mikaelsons loaded as hell?"

"I thought so. Just look at that bi...I mean, Rebekah's car. It costs more than everything I own added up and that's just one of their, like, seven cars. Or eight. Who knows? Either way, I'm pretty sure he doesn't need illegal part-time jobs. Or any part-time job, for that matter."

"Maybe he's just crazy."

"Totally."

"Or maybe _you_ are crazy." The smile froze on Caroline's face and she casted down her eyes quickly. "Sleeping with someone just to get into their house? Wow. That's...fucked up. And exciting. But mostly fucked up, even for me."

Caroline buried her face in her hands because suddenly she couldn't bare to look into her best friend's eyes. She hated how uneasy she sounded when she finally spoke.

"I know, it's just... I might be going crazy. I hate her so much it hurts and it's not even about Matt anymore. Well, not only. It's everything: him, the pageant, the cheerleading team... I feel like she takes everything from me." Caroline got lost in her speech so deeply that she didn't notice when she grabbed a fork angrily and started to stab her cold lasagne continuously. Meanwhile Katherine was watching her hand warily. "The worst part is that we have so much in common it's starting to get ridiculous. It's like she's me, only a better version of me."

"That's bullshit. She's the new girl and the new girl is always more exciting but that's about as far as her appeal goes. Soon she'll be old news and everything will be back to normal."

"Not after what I've tried to pull on her brother. It's been a day and his idiotic friends have started to spread the story already." When she stabbed her food so hard that little pieces started to fly around, Katherine snatched the fork out of her hand.

"Okay, that's it. You need to calm down."

"Sorry."

"How do you know they are spilling the beans?"

"I heard the whole cheerleading team gossip about it when they thought I wasn't around and they were having the time of their lives, those vindictive bimbos. And on top of that, that little bitch Mandy just kept on adding fake details to the story. By the time she'd finished Klaus and I were basically screwing in the middle of the schoolyard and a teacher caught us in the act."

Katherine scoffed. "That's ridiculous."

"Right?"

"Bitch please, it's not that easy to get caught, especially not outside."

For the first time since they'd sat down to have lunch a weak smile appeared on Caroline's face.

"You just keep on finding the most important details of every story. Seriously, you never disappoint."

"You're welcome", Katherine winked at her. "But wait, I still don't get one thing. Why do you want to get into that house so desperately?"

"To comp-"

"To compromise Rebekah, I know. But how? What were you hoping to find?"

Caroline leaned closer to her friend over the table, looked around carefully and lowered her voice before she spoke.

"You have to promise not to tell a living soul what I'm about to tell you now. It's my only weapon against Rebekah and I want to be smart about it."

Those words had an instant, thrilling effect on Katherine because she rubbed her hands together and beamed at Caroline with hardly contained excitement.

"I smell scandaaaaaaaal", she sing-songed gleefully.

"It's a scandal, if there ever was one."

Katherine stomped impatiently.

"Spill it!"

"Okay, okay... so like a week ago I was about to get in my car after practice when I realized I'd forgot my keys. I went back to the locker room which was already empty, or so I thought at the time, opened my locker, got the keys..."

"Get to the point already, bitch! You're killing me."

"Ugh, okay, I'm on it! So... I'd almost left when I heard _the_ noises".

"Noises? What kind of noises?"

"Noises of... you know." She hoped her face was expressive enough.

Katherine's expression immediately turned to sympathetic from excited. "Please tell me you didn't hear Rebekah and Matt. Seriously, that's how you get PTSD."

"I did not only hear but saw it, too."

"Ewwww, fuuuuck. I'm so sorry, Care. Would you like to get drunk after school? Eat a ton of chocolate? Watch Love Actually and cry?" She cringed visibly at the last part but shook it off quickly. "Whatever it is you want to do, just name it and I'll treat you to it. No questions asked."

Caroline couldn't help but laugh out at the last part. _Not that_ s _he'll ever know, but I'd probably take a bullet for Kat_ , she thought.

"As tempting as that sounds, Pierce, there is no need to cry because it wasn't Rebekah and Matt."

"Thank God!" Katherine exhaled loudly, lifting her eyes to the sky. "You know how much I hate that stupid movie."

"I do. But know what you'll love? The rest of the story."

"Right! Then who was it you heard?"

Caroline flashed a satisfied smiled at her, already enjoying the aftermath.

"Rebekah and... Professor Shane."

* * *

 _A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the delay. It might happen again in the near future, I'm busy af right now. Reviews always help, though. ;) But seriously, did you like this chapter? Are you excited for the rest? Please share your thoughts with me! Till tomorrow, then (hopefully). xxx Tanya_


	7. The thirst is real

"What the hell?! Professor Shane? You've gotta be kidding me."

"I'm not. It was him."

"But... Isn't he old? Like 35? With children?"

"34 with two children."

"Damn. This girl knows no shame. Cheating on your boyfriend of two weeks with a daddy of two? The thirst is real with this one."

Caroline found impossible to argue with that. Katherine wasn't the kind to judge others easily, especially not for their hookups. If an affair was unacceptable even by her standards, there had to be serious moral problems with it. She nodded in agreement while Katherine seemed to be somewhat lost in her thoughts.

"Okay, so... What now?"

"Isn't it obvious? I have to expose Rebekah so everyone could see what a miserable bitch she is."

"Yeah, but how?" A suspicious expression appeared on Katherine's face. "You recorded them, didn't you?"

"Nope, although I wish I did. I didn't even have my phone with me."

"Ugh, classic Caroline."

"Hey, I wasn't exactly prepared for the scene I found! Seriously, I was beyond shocked. I just tiptoed the hell out of there without even considering the possibilities and it was only later when it occurred to me that I should have filmed them for proof. The worst part is that now I know what a vile person she truly is but no-one will believe me because they know how much I hate her."

"Agreed. Then we'll have to steal her phone. Or her laptop. Or both. I'm sure they're loaded with evidence."

"I've thought about it, but they're password protected. Shit, I've already had a go at her phone during practice, but had zero luck."

"Caroline Forbes, you sneaky bitch!" Katherine intended to sound accusing but couldn't keep the admiration out of her voice. "You are much more badass than I usually give you credit for!"

"Umm, thanks, I guess."

The girls sat in sudden silence in the middle of the crowded cafeteria, Katherine still processing the story she'd just heard and Caroline still boiling over the ethical questions it raised regarding her willingness to go through a near stranger's personal stuff and expose her secrets. However, she shooed away those concerns quickly. Caroline Forbes always got what she wanted, even if she had to get her hands a bit dirty.

"So that's why you want to get into her room so bad? Because you hope you'd find something?"

"I know for sure I would."

Katherine raised her eyebrow questioningly. "Like what?"

"Oh, right, I haven't finished the story yet! So when they started to dress up, they were chatting a little, and-"

"Hold on, you sticked around for long enough to see the afterglow?"

Caroline's face quickly grew red.

"By the time I'd arrived, they were already almost done, if you know what I mean", she cringed internally at how awkward and defensive that sounded. "Then they started to talk and ... Okay, I guess I was a little curious. But I swear I wasn't creepy about it, I just..."

"Wow, this story just keeps on getting better and better", Katherine shook with barely restricted laughter. When Caroline shot her a dirty look, she made an attempt to stop and raised her hands. "Hey, it's all cool, I'm not judging!"

"Like hell you're not. Do you want to hear the rest or not?"

"Sorry. Of course I do."

"Okay, so when they started to dress, Professor Shane pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and gave it to Bekah."

"Juicy! A love letter, perhaps?"

"Even worse. A love poem. Admitted it himself."

"Ew, how very... typical of a pedophile literature teacher. Any woman in her right mind would run screaming."

"She didn't. She just took the paper and promised to put it where the rest is." _And they looked very much in love_ , Caroline wanted to add, but changed her mind quickly. She didn't want to tell Katherine - or anyone for that matter - what she'd seen might be more than what it clearly was: a slutty cheerleader and a family man banging in the locker room like in some cheap porno. Katherine didn't seem to catch on her inner struggle.

"So there are love letters written by Professor Shane hidden somewhere in Rebekah's room. This is epic. Just imagine the scandal. The Mikaelsons would probably have to move eventually."

But Caroline didn't catch the last of the monologue because Niklaus Mikaelson had just entered the cafeteria and suddenly she forgot how to breathe or think; it was like time had slowed down and everything else faded except the guy in the plain white shirt and black jeans who still managed look more exciting than anyone she'd ever seen. Klaus was in the middle of a conversation with his friends but seemed to pay only half attention because he looked around eagerly, evidently searching for someone. _I should look away,_ a voice in her head said but before she could have considered it, Klaus locked eyes with her and she allowed herself to get lost in the exquisite blueness. Neither of them broke the eye contact for a couple of agonizingly slow yet still too short seconds.

"Hello, Care? Are you listening to me?" When she didn't get an answer, Katherine turned around in her seat to see what had caught her friend's attention. By that time Klaus' friends must have also noticed his absence of mind because all of their gazes settled on the girls' table.

The magic of the moment quickly evaporated when Jeremy crushed his shoulder into Klaus' back and the whole group broke out in mocking laughter. For a split-second Klaus looked annoyed with them and threw a regretting, almost apologetic look to Caroline but when he started to play along and high-fived the immature idiots with a huge smirk on his face, Caroline decided she'd just imagined the whole thing.

"Ignore them", Katherine commanded in an attempt to snap the blonde out of her embarrassment. "You're above this shit. And he's a jerk for being a telltale."

Caroline raised her chin with fake confidence and looked away from the laughing group.

"He's a jerk and also one more very good reason to want the Mikaelsons go away. The sooner the better."

"Then we'll see them to it."

"But how?" Caroline sighed desperately. "I already took my chances with the seduction plan and it went straight to hell."

"It doesn't matter. I already have a new plan."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Remember that Kol's having a birthday party next Friday?"

"Uh, come on. You know damn well if Rebekah can help it, I'll never enter that house. I'm not even invited!"

Katherine looked about with a conspiratorial air and leaned across the table, looking immensely satisfied with herself.

"You are not... But I am."


	8. Running from your problems

_So it has come to this,_ Caroline thought. _I may as well be dead._

It was a Friday night but Caroline Forbes was sitting at home alone, barely restricted anger bubbling inside of her. For the first time in her life she wasn't invited to the party of the year. _Probably just the party of the month, but still._ It was an experience she would have been more than happy to miss out on, but there she was anyway. And being uninvited sucked.

She had been watching a sappy romantic movie for over an hour but she was too uninvested to even remember the main character's name. When said main character's mom died and she couldn't even shed a tear for her, she decided it was pointless to continue watching. Distracting her attention with a movie clearly didn't work out that well.

 _To hell with this_ , she muttered to herself. She would find another way to mend her hurt ego and make herself get through the night, Caroline decided, and quickly disappeared in her room to change into her running suit.

Sometimes good exercise was all a girl needed.

* * *

Meanwhile Katherine Pierce had just arrived at the Mikaelson mansion and couldn't help but marvel at the luxury the family could afford. _These people must be filthy rich_ , she thought. She was amazed by the classy interior design in spite of herself; she'd promised Caroline earlier she'd hate the whole thing.

However, a bunch of party girls put a sudden end to her marveling when they barged through the front doors amid excited screams. Katherine rolled her eyes at them and stepped aside before the drunk crowd could have swept her away. The choice proved to be most beneficial because a moment later one of the girls tripped in her platform sandals and took down everyone in her vicinity, spilling drinks all over their dresses.

 _I'm not near drunk enough for these basic bitches,_ she thought darkly and snatched a bottle of Jack out of an almost unconscious guy's hand. Poor bastard tried to protest weakly but he couldn't even get up from the couch he was lying on. Katherine raised the bottle at him and took a long pull at it.

"Cheers, bud. You'll be more than grateful tomorrow morning", but he probably couldn't hear her as he was already busy emptying the contents of his stomach into the nearest plant pot.

"Ew. Excuse me", Katherine turned away from the disgusting scene in her nude Louboutins. Usually these shoes gave her confidence paired with a simple emerald green dress but now she just felt plain old in the sea of revealing neon dresses and ripped boyfriend jeans with crop tops and fake-cheap sneakers. _Freaking 2016. Freaking freshmen. Have zero fashion sense._

Just as she was about to turn around and leave, Katherine caught a glimpse of Rebekah across the room and suddenly remembered the purpose of her stay. _Concentrate on the task and get the hell out,_ she scolded herself. She pulled the bottle one more time, plastered a fake smile onto her face and grabbed the nearest girl's arm who looked drunk enough not to get suspicious.

"Hey, Vicky! How's it going? Long time no see, huh?"

"Kaaat!" Vicky screamed excitedly and launched herself at the flinching Katherine. Apparently Vicky was drunk enough to forget they didn't really talk anymore. "How are you, gurl? It's been ages! We haven't really spoken since the accid-"

"Okay, that's enough", Katherine dug her nails deep into the other girl's arm who took a sharp breath in pain. Katherine's smile grew even faker. "Now would you just please tell me where Rebekah's room is? I've brought a gift for her and I wouldn't want to leave it out there."

Vicky looked confused. "You've brought a gift for Bekah? But it's Kol's birthday!" Her words came out slurred.

"I've brought a present for both of them." Katherine felt herself running out of patience. Fortunately Vicky wasn't in the state of mind to question her motives.

"Oh, how kind of you! Umm, Bekah's room... First floor, second left? No, second floor, first left!"

 _God help me with these drunk idiots._ "Thanks, Vicky! Have fun", and she left the clueless girl in the living room.

Spotting Rebekah in the kitchen with the cheerleading squad she felt safe enough to sneak up the stairway and look around her room.

* * *

Caroline felt the tension slowly leave her body as she left mile after mile behind her. Her steps picked up a steady rhythm in perfect harmony with the music in hear ears and her long breaths. The cool night air helped her calm down and clear her thoughts.

 _Who cares about this stupid party anyway? No-one will remember it in three days._

She'd chosen a long route which took more than an hour to complete. By the time she'd gotten back to the the porch of her house with aching muscles, she felt completely spent but deeply relaxed.

All of that went up in smoke when she'd heard a deep voice behind her just as she was about to enter the house.

"Running form your problems, I see."

* * *

 _A/N: Hey guys, thanks for the lovely reviews, you're the best! If you left some more, they would probably help me write faster... ;)_


	9. Now or never

_Shit, I can't see anything._ Katherine run her hands over the wall blindly, taking hesitant steps ahead in the darkness. _Come on, where the hell the switch is?_

She had to admit it wasn't her brightest idea to sneak into a pitch dark room she'd never seen before, but it was too late for a re-plan. She instinctively knew she didn't have much time. _If only I could find that goddamn switch..._

The longer she kept searching for the light, the more she distanced herself from the door she'd came in and after a while she couldn't even tell how far it was from her. _This must be the hugest room I've ever been to_ , she shook her head in defeat and searched for her phone in her handbag. When she was finally able to turn on its flashlight and look around, she immediately realized what a huge mistake she'd made. _This isn't Rebekah's room._ The imposing mahogany desk, the endless bookshelves, the antique decor and the classy paintings on the walls couldn't possibly belong to Rebekah.

 _Shit._

She quickly located the door and made a run for it, but just before she could have broken free, she realized someone stood on the other side of the door and was about to open it. And judging by the indistinguishable voices coming through, that someone was a man and he was talking to someone.

 _Shitshitshit,_ Katherine looked around in blind panic. Luckily, her phone's flashlight fell onto a king-sized bed right next to her. In a last, desperate attempt to hide herself she quickly laid on her stomach and crawled under the bed.

A second later someone switched on the light and walked into the room.

"No, _you_ listen to me, Fred. I don't care if you have to bribe them, blackmail them, or even threaten them, we'll push this merge through and you will do whatever it takes to get the deal done. Not only that, but you'll be personally responsible for Mr. Jones being bloody satisfied with it. Understood? We can't afford to lose any more clients."

Katherine risked a careful glance from under the bed and saw a man in an elegant suit cross the room with swift steps and settle at the drink cabinets. Apparently, the room had drink cabinets because he helped himself to a glass of whisky from it, meanwhile holding his phone between his shoulder and his face.

"Tell them that I don't care for compromises. Our client is interested in merging and merging alone. That, or they can file for banktrupcy."

Katherine tried to position herself to get a better look at the man who seemed to be lost in a business call. Although she could only see a small part of his face, as his back was turned to her, she could tell he was in his late twenties and had a very authoritative aura around him. _This is not good._

The man drained his glass in one gulp, loosened his tie and undid the top button of his shirt, never breaking off the conversation he had over the phone. The argument became more and more heated.

 _Maybe he'll just leave?_ , Katherine thought hopefully although the man didn't look like he'd be going anywhere soon. On the contrary, he poured himself another glass and dropped onto the soft-looking armchair behind his desk, unbuttoning a few more buttons of his shirt in the process. Acting so comfortable and natural made it clear that it was his room and he didn't intend to leave.

 _He might be staying in for the rest of the night,_ it dawned upon Katherine and she gritted her teeth angrily. He might be, but she for sure wasn't. _I need to get the hell out._

The opportunity presented itself about five minutes later when the stranger - still busy with the phone call - stood up from his armchair and turned away again to look out of the window.

 _Now or never_ , Katherine thought. She took off her heels slowly - which was difficult enough to do in such a small space -, rolled out from under the bed, raised herself on her hands and knees, and put the straps of her shoes between her teeth. She raised her head a little above the sheets to risk a glance at the man who was now on the other side of the bed and, luckily, still admiring the view from his window.

 _Come on, Pierce,_ she urged herself to move and started to crawl away from the bed slowly, praying he would stay just as he was for one more minute.

 _Almost out._ Katherine finally got to the door and reached up to grab the handle, still on her knees. She didn't dare to turn around and check up on him.

When the door opened without making a noise, Katherine almost laughed out in joy, although the shoes hanging from her mouth would have made it difficult. _Only a few more seconds..._

Just as she was about to take the last few steps to get out, she realized something was amiss. It was too... silent.

 _When has he stopped talking?_

He spoke sooner than she would have had the time to make her next move.

"You might want to stick around to explain yourself", the man chuckled darkly.

* * *

 _A/N: Welcome back, guys! As always, I'm sooo grateful for the reviews, you can't even imagine. It warms my heart to know that you are excited for my story as much as I am. So what do you think, in whose room Katherine is...? ;) Are you excited for this storyline? If you're not a fan, still don't worry, huge things are coming for Klaroline too. To answer the question regarding the length of the chapters: I wish I could produce longer chapters, but right now I'm extremely busy with my life so writing about 1k words is all I can squeeze into my daily routine. If I wrote longer chapters, the updates would be fewer. I'll have more free time from January though!_


	10. Romance is dead

_A/N: Surprise, surprise, double update today! This chapter was just itching to get out so I caved and voila! Enjoy the Kalijah goodness :) It has been one of my favorite chapters to write so far so promise me you'll like it! ;) Also, next chapter or two is strictly Klaroline but I might not update for a few days._

* * *

"You might want to stick around to explain yourself."

The blood froze in Katherine's veins when she heard him speak; for a few seconds she didn't even dare to move. _Maybe if I pretended not to notice him, he would just let me go._ She knew the thought was utterly childish but still wished it would work for once in her life.

"Well?"

 _Yeah, so much for that,_ she scolded herself bitterly and slowly turned around on her knees to face the room's mysterious occupant. The sight took her breath away.

She could already see earlier he was captivating and handsome but she wasn't prepared for the full extent of his attractiveness. A very well dressed man stood on the opposite side of the room, wearing an expensive suit that hid a lanky yet muscular body. Short brown hair, strong jawline and a pair of mesmerizing, hazel brown eyes completed the already perfect look. _Yummm,_ was all she could think of at that moment.

Her expression must have adapted to her thoughts because he sighed and asked patiently, "Are you mentally challenged? Or deaf?"

Katherine turned red with indignation and quickly stood up before she could have made an even bigger fool out of herself. To save time before the inevitable, she straightened her dress primly and put on her nude pumps in record time. _Think of something_ , a voice screamed inside her otherwise empty head. Nothing came to her except the lyrics of a random song she'd heard earlier downstairs.

 _Downstairs. Music. Party. Alcohol._

The solution resolved in her brain within a millisecond. _There is a party two floors down. I'm just a lost, drunk girl._

The next moment she broke into the most cringeworthy laughter she'd ever produced and started to sway around unsteadily, like she was dizzy from the alcohol. She could tell from the look on his face that her performance was painfully artificial but it was too late to back down.

"Oops, sorry", she forced her tongue to slip on purpose. "Where is the toilet, then?"

She didn't know what exactly she'd expected from her pathetic simulation but it sure as hell wasn't a sensual, good-hearted laughter. She frowned in puzzlement for the second time that night.

"You can stop the show, sweetheart. No girl that drunk puts on five inch heels so effortlessly."

 _Busted, again._ After her first knee-jerk reaction to the humiliating situation, she eventually started to get annoyed with herself. With him. With the awkwardness of it all. _Snap out of this clumsy Katerina-bullshit already. Katherine Pierce is cooler than this._

She closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, Katherine crossed her arms in front of her breasts and said in a completely different tone, "Fair enough. Your point?"

The laughter quickly died on his lips. "What's _my_ point? _You_ are the one who hid under my bed, miss...?", he asked incredulously.

"Pierce. Katherine Pierce."

"Well, Miss Katherine Pierce, you owe me an explanation at the very least. What were you doing in my room? Under my bed nonetheless?"

She rolled her eyes at him impatiently. "Obviously I didn't know it was your room, I mistook it for someone else's. My bad. Can I go now?"

With that she turned around dramatically and intended to exit but before she could have reached the door, his voice stopped her again.

"Whose room was it supposed to be?", the man asked curiously.

 _Now that is a very good question._ Obviously she couldn't tell the truth; she couldn't tell that she came here with the sole purpose of stealing Rebekah's love letters from Professor Shane. Instead she opted for the safe answer.

"K...Kol?"

"Kol? The lucky bastard", he chuckled, more to himself than at her. He slowly walked to his black leather armchair and eased backward into it. "Does he know you're here?"

"I don't think so."

"So? What was your plan?", he asked, then grabbed his still half-full glass.

"Pillow fight." She took a small break for dramatic effect. "What do you think?", she asked suggestively.

"Now this is how you kids date these days, huh?" He knocked back the glass of whisky at once, then grimaced bitterly at the aftertaste. "Who says romance is dead?"

"We are absolutely not dating."

"Even worse."

"And I'm not a kid." Something dangerously close to hurt, angry pride boiled in her by the mere suggestion that she was a kid. Her palms started to itch when he smirked at her mockingly.

"Of course you're not. That's what I thought when I was your age, too. Turns out I was a kid. An annoying, reckless, difficult _kid_. You are nothing more in high school. Take it from the wiser."

She couldn't explain why it hurt so much that a complete stranger saw her as a kid. Usually she paid no mind to smartasses and preachers but now she wanted to carve his eyes out. _How dare he call me a kid!_ She desperately wanted to prove him otherwise.

"Thanks for the life lesson, grandpa. Now can I finally go fuck my peachy, fresh hookup's brains out like we kids do these days?"

It was a low blow, she was aware of it, but she couldn't resist the temptation to turn the tables on him. His reaction was priceless: first his eyes bulged out comically, then his expression turned into something halfway angry, halfway astonished. The smirk was long gone.

"Hilarious. How old are you?", he asked in a soar tone.

Feeling truly in her element, she flashed a calculating smile at him.

"Well, there is only one way to find out. Show me yours, and I'll show you mine."

"Excuse me?"

"Your ID. Show me your ID", Katherine winked at him, slowly approaching his desk. She made sure to move leisurely like a hungry predator ready to strike its victim by surprise. "Why, what were you thinking?", she added innocently for full effect.

"Nothing Kol dearest would be too happy to hear about", he confessed darkly.

Katherine chuckled at his response in a soft tone while running her fingertips along the mahogany surface of the desk. He followed their path with hungry eyes. "What if I told you I don't want Kol anymore?" She licked her lips and leaned forward on the table, knowing well what a sight she would give him. "What if I told you I've found something more exciting?"

She could clearly see the struggle on his face. At first he looked like he was about to grab and ravish her right on the desk, but then - like a switch has been flicked - he quickly gained back his control. Before she could have as much as blink, he leaned back in his armchair with a tight, guarded look on his face.

"Then I would say my brother deserves much better than a girl who looses interest so fast."

Now it was Katherine's turn to get shocked. The seductive smile quickly disappeared from her face.

"Your brother?"

"Yes, my brother, _Miss Pierce._ I'm Elijah Mikaelson."

 _Fuck, Kol is his brother._ Although Katherine knew she had probably ruined her chances with the man to whom she felt an unexplainable, magnetic pull, she reached for a pen and wrote down her phone number on a post-it before he could have protested.

"Just so you know, your brother and I are not a thing. It was just a stupid joke." She handed him the post-it and, to her surprise, he took it without a word. "In case you've changed your mind."

"I won't", he stated hardly, but still didn't tore apart the small piece of paper. It gave Katherine a ridiculous amount of hope. "I think it's time for you to go, Miss Pierce."

"Good night, Elijah", his name felt foreign but very intoxicating on her lips. "Sweet dreams."

He hated how his body reacted to her purring voice. Hated the goosebumps on his arms. And most of all, hated the weakness he felt in her proximity.

"Give Kol my best!", he called after her frustratedly. Katherine didn't even bother to answer.

Long after she'd left, Elijah was still sitting where she'd left him, turning the piece of paper absently in his hands.

"You are something else, Katherine Pierce."

* * *

 ** _A/N (7 January 2017): Hey guys, thanks for the positive feedback, it makes me so glad you like this story! It started off as a fun way to release the tension my exams and my new job had built up and it quickly grew on me. But as much as I would love to, unfortunately I won't be able to update until February - my priority right now is to finish my thesis so I can FINALLY leave law school behind and become a lawyer. Thought I would finish my thesis sooner, but work makes it seriously difficult to sleep or have a social life, let alone work on my stories. But don't worry, I promise to get back in February and take up right where I left off! xxx Tanya_**


	11. A constant and eternal zero

"Running from your problems, I see."

The masculine voice caught Caroline completely off-guard. Her heart jumped to her throat and she couldn't help but let out an instinctive, loud shriek. It was only when she turned around that her nerves seemed to relax and became suddenly very embarrassed by her jumpiness. Also, the sight of Klaus Mikaelson leaning casually against a pillar on her porch sent a new kind of excitement through her system so Caroline started to fidget with her set of keys nervously.

"Gosh, you scared me." Although she wanted to sound accusing, her voice never made it above half frightened, half relieved.

"Sorry, love. I didn't intend to." At least he truly did sound regretful for once, she had to give him that.

As her embarrassment slowly started to wear off, Caroline realized he wasn't supposed to be standing at her door at 11 pm. He wasn't supposed to be standing at her door, period. Or talk to her. Ever again. She crossed her arms and struggled to revoke her best Queen B persona.

"Oh? So what do you want? Why are you here? Don't you have drugs to sell at some party? It's Friday evening. I bet this is a rush hour for you."

His earnest smile faltered.

"Very funny." Pushing himself away from the pillar effortlessly, Klaus hid his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "So... I see you've made your homework this time."

"I did."

"...And?"

"Aaaand... Congratulations, Niklaus. You no longer interest me", she offered with a sweet, albeit fake smile which clearly said, now _please_ fuck off _._

Unfortunately for her, Klaus didn't seem to catch up on the hidden message because he made a few cautious steps in her direction.

"Your interest seems to be a tricky thing, Caroline. You go from 0 to 100 and vice-versa real quick."

"Not anymore. From now on, you can consider my interest for you a constant and eternal zero." At that point even the fake smile vanished from her face, leaving nothing but hospitality and impatience behind. "I guess we are done here."

"Not even close, sweetheart. I think you should explain yourself."

No matter how hard she tried to pretend to be completely unaffected by him and his words, Caroline grew visibly paler at the suggestion. "Explain what exactly?", she tried to pull of nonchalantly, but her sudden nervousness spoke volumes.

"Oh, you know. The other day, when you propositioned me _._ Which escalated to some kind of misunderstanding, as I learned from your famous last words. That, and a kick to my groin." Although he tried his best not to, he couldn't help but chuckle in amazement as he recalled that final bit of the surreal memory. He'd always had a soft spot for fierce women and Caroline Forbes was no exception.

But this Caroline right now in front of him wasn't fierce, on the contrary. She was cold, impassive and impatient. It irritated Klaus to no end.

"Then let me confirm your brilliant conclusions, Sherlock: I'm not into drugs, and it wasn't drugs I wanted from you. Satisfied?"

A huge, wolfish grin spread across his face as he stepped even closer to where she stood. Klaus smelled like leather _(probably his jacket)_ and expensive cologne _(probably bought by drug money)_. Still, Caroline's knees went weak at the sight and smell of him.

"Almost. But I could think of a few ways to reach... total and mutual satisfaction."

Caroline's mind was so overwhelmed by the sensations and the thoughts his proximity provoked in her body that she had almost missed the sexual innuendo. But as soon as she realized what he'd just offered, she sobered up and took a step back.

"Not going to happen."

He stepped ahead, never missing a beat.

"Why not? You seemed more than willing the first time we met."

"Well, I... I've changed my mind."

He was so close she could feel his warm breath on her face. _I should run inside._ She didn't.

"And why is that?"

"I've learned some things about you."

"Okay, so now you know I'm not exactly boyfriend material", he shrugged. "Fair enough. That doesn't have anything to do with the physical stuff". He left the un-asked question hang in the air for a second or two. When she didn't reject it immediately, he raised his hand slowly to touch her face. "We could still have fun, you know. I might not be the next prom king of Mystic Falls, but I could make it worth your while, love."

Caroline could hear her own heartbeats drumming in her ears while he run a fingertip along her jawline. She hated herself for considering his offer but she did, and oh boy, was her imagination running wild with the possible scenarios and positions in which they could have reached said satisfaction. _It's been a while, dumbass, so don't overthink it, just go with the flow_ , her body screamed at her desperately. By the time his fingertip touched her lips, she was reduced to nothing but a puddle of lust and heightened senses and nerve-endings on fire. She was shaking with want.

Still, even at that moment she was Caroline Forbes and Caroline Forbes was proud. Caroline Forbes couldn't just admit defeat and beg to a drug-dealer, who was also the brother of her sworn enemy, to rip off her clothes and take her. If he crashed his lips into hers, pushed her against the nearest wall and fucked her senseless, she wouldn't have objected, not for a millisecond. But she wasn't going to say it out loud. She wasn't going to ask for it, especially not from him.

"Still not good enough to tempt me", she whispered instead and prayed he would see right through her bullshit and kiss her already.

He didn't. His clear blue eyes turned somewhat stormy while studying Caroline's with disappointment and barely veiled disgust.

"You were never interested in me in the first place, were you, Caroline?"

"Umm, I..." There was nothing to say, really. So she didn't even try. Klaus chuckled bitterly.

"Yeah, I thought so." He run a hand through his hair desperately. "So this really is about my sister, right?"

tbc

* * *

 _A/N: Heeeey, kiddos! Now guess what! Exams are over, thesis is done, leaving work in two weeks and I have two fabulous months before I have to start studying for my final exams. Which means... Story time! If you are still interested in my baby, you are in for one hell of a ride! Did you like this chapter?_ _If not, why?_ _Do you like where I'm going with this story? If not, why? I'm interested in everything you have to say so don't hold back, review the shit out of this chapter! Updates will be the same as they used to be, always short but (hopefully) frequent. And as always, feedback makes me work faster ;) Until the next chapter, Tanya XXX_


	12. Such a beautiful face

"So this is really about my sister, right?"

She didn't even have to say anything; the silence confirmed his worst suspicions. That, and the deer-caught-in-a-flashlinght look on her face, probably.

"Oh, don't act so surprised, love. I'm not dumb. I can put two and two together, you know."

Caroline couldn't answer anything; the guilt and the weight of her actions finally came crushing down on her and she felt sick of herself. For once in her life, she felt utterly and thoroughly suffocated by just being Caroline Forbes; at that moment she would have rather been anybody else. And Klaus wasn't finished.

He was pacing around the porch, seething, refusing to look directly into her eyes.

"So what was the plan? Fuck me, just to get back at my sister for dating your ex? Maybe even humiliate or ridicule me in the process? Break my heart? Or was it more like, seduce me, date me and turn me against my sister? Shit, this is just dumb." When she finally came to her senses and tried to protest, he cut her off quickly. "Okay, I'm not interested in the specifics. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's a perfectly thought-through, complicated and evil plan, but I'm sick of it already."

Caroline could feel the tears well up in her eyes. _This has gone so wrong._ Yet while he was wrong about many details, his conclusion wasn't. No, it was true she'd tried to seduce him just to cause trouble for Rebekah. And it made her feel terrible.

But before self-pity and self-hatred could have swallowed her up entirely, a firm grab on her upper arm jerked Caroline back to reality. Next thing she knew, he span her around roughly and forced her to face him.

"I just want to ask one last thing: what has my sister ever done to you that has triggered such hatred? Why do you hate her so much, Caroline?"

Despite all the shame and guilt, Caroline's blood started to boil.

"Isn't it obvious? He stole my boyfriend, damn it!"

He pulled her even closer, his fingers digging deeper into the flesh of her arm. She hissed in pain.

"Now guess what, princess. Boyfriends are not property. You can't steal them. Sorry to be the one to break it to you, but he made a decision to leave you on his own free will."

Now he was going to throw her humiliation right into her face, just to excuse Rebekah's actions? _Screw you, Klaus Mikaelson!_ She would give him a piece of her mind.

"Matt wouldn't have made that decision if that whore sister of yours didn't threw herself at him", she shouted furiously.

"Watch your mouth, Caroline", he loomed over her threateningly but she was past the point of caring.

"Or what? The big bad drug dealer will beat me up?"

At least that question earned the desired effect since he released her immediately and stepped away from her.

"What? No, I would never hurt you!"

"You are already hurting my feelings, asshole!" Caroline screamed, but as soon as the tears started to fall, her anger evaporated. Nothing remained but desperation and sadness. She hid her face (which she considered particularly ugly during crying) in her palms and started to sob uncontrollably.

"We loved each other, you know? We truly did. We wanted to go to the same college, move in together, and then..."

As she was crying miserably in front of an almost total stranger, the chilly night air engulfing her in its cold embrace, all she could feel ripping through her misery were thoughts like _"this couldn't be more embarrassing_ " and _"just kill me now"_. Until she felt something warm and comforting around her. Something that suspiciously smelled like Klaus.

"Shh, sweetheart. It's alright. I'm sorry for being an asshole. Just don't cry. Shh."

Caroline wanted to push him away but the sobbing made her weak. Instead of trying to play the tough girl, she buried her teary face in his chest and let the grief wash over her. Klaus sighed deeply, moaned something like, _"Fuck"_ , but rested his chin on the top of her head and let Caroline take her time. He even stroked her hair comfortingly a few times.

When he felt her go quiet, Klaus broke up their embrace and lifted her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. First she'd tried to resist but eventually gave in and her teary, stubborn gaze settled on his face. She looked so beautiful that for a minute he forgot how to breathe.

"Okay, Caroline. Listen to me", he cleared his throat when he finally found his voice. "I'm sure that you loved each other very much. I'm sure it was great and he was the one for you and you were the one for him and all that jazz. But" - he wiped a tear away gently that had just spilled from her eye - "obviously somewhere along the way it went... wrong. Maybe the whole thing just ran its course. Who knows." She shook her head in denial but knew deep down that everything Klaus had said was true. She could still hear her own desperate sobs ring in her ears, _We could still fix it, Matty, just don't give up on us!_ , and then Matt's sad voice as the words left his lips that would make everything fall apart: _Oh, Care, things have been beyond repair for some time, haven't you noticed?_ But she still wasn't ready to admit it. No, she has been in some serious denial for the last few weeks.

Klaus sighed exhaustedly.

"Look, I don't know much about love and relationships. But I know one thing for sure: if everything was perfectly fine between the two of you, nothing could have put an end to it. Not even my sister, although I've got to admit she can be quite... persuasive."

Caroline closed her eyes and took a deep breath, willing the tears to stop. "I know that", she admitted eventually in a whisper. "I still hate her, though."

"You are more than welcome to do that. Most days I hate her too", Klaus smiled in relief, then added in a more serious tone, "Just promise you won't try to actively ruin her life."

For a minute or two Caroline believed that she could do that. She could be the bigger person, let go of the anger and just move on. The option was tempting, especially when such a beautiful pair of eyes looked pleadingly into her own. For a minute, she let herself get lost in them and believe that she could be that person.

But then she remembered the way it felt to come second in the pageant. Losing to Rebekah hurt no matter what, but it hurt even more when she twisted the knife and whispered in her ears, _Told you I would take it all away from you, Forbes..._ The same line she had used when she walked away with Matt.

No, losing was one thing, but being unnecessarily humiliated was another story. Rebekah had crossed an unforgivable line between the two and now there was no going back from there.

"I can't promise that. Sorry", she whispered, already regretful.

Klaus didn't react anything, just stood in front of her with an unreadable expression on his face. Caroline waited for a few seconds, but then the silence became too unbearable.

"I don't think you see your sister the same way as I do", she offered hesitantly.

Caroline desperately wished she could somehow make him understand what she meant, that she could get her revenge and keep him close too; and when Klaus gently smoothed a lock of hair away from her face, she almost believed she had succeeded. But then he shook his head and looked away from her.

"Well, it's too bad", he chuckled bitterly, "that such a beautiful face hides such a cold woman".

And before she could have answered, he was already gone.

* * *

 _A/N: Phew, this chapter has been an emotional rollercoaster, hasn't it? I know it's been written in a more serious tone than the rest of the chapters, but - although I intend to keep this story full of with snarky and fun dialogues - we are facing major drama here. (Angst and wittiness are the things I excel at most, so that's what you're in for.) What I'm trying to say is that it won't be jokes and laughter all the time but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless and stick around. Also THANK YOU for the reviews, you are the best guys, I LOVED them so much! As I've already said, anything you have to say about the story is appreciated, so please don't hold back! XXX Tanya_


	13. The infamous Mikaelson charm

The next morning found the Mikaelson household in a rather battered state: empty beer cups, pieces of snacks and sleeping bodies in various states of hangover were lying around the living room. Apart from the horrendous mess the party had left behind, the sight was almost idyllic in the sunny and lively Saturday morning.

However, the still-life was cruelly disturbed when a woman stormed into the room, turned on the music without a warning and started to shout from the top of her lungs. Her deep voice blended into the unholy noises of dubstep blasting from the speakers at maximum volume.

"Alright, kiddos, rise and shine, the party is officially over!"

Her entrance was not without effect as almost every sleeping teenager started to stir; some of them just turned in their sleep, some of them cried out in surprise and swore loudly, and only the minority of them began to search for their belongings dutifully and prepared to leave.

The redhead, still standing in the middle of the room, rolled her eyes, sighed in exasperation and lifted the two heavy bags she held in her hands for everyone to see.

"Surprise, I've just got back from the Grill! I'll treat each and every one of you to a bacon sandwich and a bottle of OJ who is willing to leave right now! Also, I'll kick your asses if you don't."

Now that got a reaction. Soon the hungover, still half-asleep high schoolers formed a queue in front of the woman handing out the breakfast packages. Some of them muttered a grateful _Thank you, Mrs. Mikaelson,_ then every one of them left, just as the woman had asked.

Meanwhile two well-dressed men were enjoying their morning coffee in mutual silence, seemingly reading their newspapers but secretly watching the scene the redhead's arrival had created unfold from the spacious open kitchen.

When the last of the partygoers closed the door behind them and the woman turned off the music, one of the men let out an amused chuckle.

"Poor kids never stood a chance", he said, then turned to his breakfast companion. "Now tell me your secret, dearest brother, how come someone like you gets such a fine woman?"

To Finn's credit, he didn't as much as bat an eye at the obvious teasing. He just shrugged, turned a page and continued to read with mild interest, planning to completely disregard his brother when his wife joined the conversation, shouting over from the living room.

"It must have been the infamous Mikaelson charm", she noted sarcastically. "And I'm the lucky one, not him", added in a softer tone, beaming at her husband for a moment before grabbing a huge garbage bag and started to wind up the remains of the party.

Before Finn could have had a chance to answer something equally affectionate, someone interrupted once again, this time from the stairs above.

"The infamous Mikaelson charm?" Rebekah repeated playfully while descending the stairs in an oversized T-shirt and an old short, too faded to determine its original colour. "Hear that, 'Lijah? You still have hope."

Elijah's face turned sour by the insult, the others laughing out loud all the while.

"Very funny, Bekah. I see you still enjoy sharping your tongue on your helpless brother, as always", he replied in an offended tone. Too bad he couldn't fool anyone: the admiration for his sister was evident on his face.

"My helpless brother? Are we talking about the same person? Elijah Mikaelson, the most feared and successful under-30 attorney in Virginia?"

"Not even being a successful attorney can protect a man from the cruelty of a little sister's honest opinion."

"Or any other sibling's opinion, for that matter", Finn added nonchalantly, still not looking up from his paper.

Rebekah winked at them. "You really do flatter me, Elijah", she said, then sat next to them at the table and reached for the jam and some pastries. "Morning, Sage", she smiled at the woman who had just appeared in the kitchen with a bag full of the trash she had collected from the living room. Sage smiled back at her.

"Morning, Bekah." She turned around as if searching for someone. "Speaking of your siblings, where are Klaus and Kol?"

Rebekah was in the middle of chewing her food and she didn't bother to swallow it before she answered. "Nik didn't show up yesterday."

"Oh. I see." Sage sighed.

"Then he probably won't come at all, not until next weekend", Elijah chimed in with his notorious poker face. But his family knew him well enough to know it was his way to hide pain and sadness. Sage threw him a sympathetic look.

"I take it your father comes back today."

"In the early evening, I think."

A long, unpleasant silence settled upon them; to erase it, Sage asked in an unconvincingly bright tone, "What about our birthday boy?"

"Haven't seen him today yet", Rebekah shrugged. "But he was having a blast yesterday, as far as I recall."

"Not only yesterday, unfortunately", Finn finally folded the newspaper and put it down. "He was _having a blast_ all night long and in the early hours of today, too. With a very... articulate friend of his." As if he didn't notice the sudden, astonished silence, he added fretfully, "I didn't get much sleep, thanks to the young woman."

For about heartbeat longer everyone stayed silent, then they started to talk at the same time.

"Whaaaaaaat!", Rebekah screamed in scandalized excitement. She also dropped her knife out of surprise but didn't even seem to notice.

"No way!" Sage turned to Finn incredulously. "But I was right beside you the whole night! How could I have slept it through?"

"You could sleep through the next world war, honey", Finn flashed her an uncharacteristically warm and gentle smile.

Soon their attention was drawn to Elijah, who had slammed down his coffee cup with unnecessary force. They all turned to him, waiting for an explanation, being unable to imagine what made their usually calm and collected brother (or brother-in-law, in Sage's case) act out.

"Enough with this! I don't want to hear more", Elijah demanded coldly. Then, realizing how out of place his outburst was, he explained in a less angry tone, "I don't think we should discuss Kol's bedroom activities. Let's give him and the... lady in question some privacy."

"Come on, Elijah, don't be such a prude", Sage teased him.

Even Finn looked surprised.

"Really, brother, we have all been there and done that at least once. What's the problem?"

Rebekah couldn't hide her smug smile. "Jealous much, 'Lijah?"

That last question visibly threw Elijah off the hook, although to be fair, he recollected himself in record time. "Humor me, Bekah. Why would I possibly be jealous of Kol, of all people?", he asked in a completely neutral tone, but loosened his tie discreetly when his brain replayed a certain memory from last night. _That's why_ , and he knew it _._

A merciful, loud clash from the lobby saved him from having to answer. All four of them jerked their heads toward the source of the noise. A cringing brunette stood next to a knocked over coat hanger, paralyzed by humiliation as she was caught in the middle of her walk of shame. It was clear she had intended to exit unnoticed, and since she was close to the front door, had almost succeeded, but the evil coat hanger had another plans for her.

The girl turned around slowly to see if by any miracle she had managed to remain unnoticed despite her clumsiness, but the amazed faces of the Mikaelson family confirmed her worst suspicions.

"Ummm... hello?", she offered hesitantly.

"Vicky!?" Rebekah gaped at her friend incredulously.

"Yeah. Hello, Bekah", Vicky turned crimson red in less than a second. When Rebekah didn't reply, just stared at her like she had grown a second head since they had last met, she moved onto her companions. "Good morning, Mrs. Mikaelson. Mr. Mikaelson. And... um... Mr. Mikaelson?", she peered at Elijah uncertainly, not being familiar with him. "I... really should be going."

Sage nodded at her, almost unable to hold back the laughter any longer. Luckily, Vicky was out of the door faster than it was humanly possible. As soon as she was gone, Rebekah and Sage burst into historical laughter, wiping tears from their eyes.

Kol chose that exact moment to walk into the kitchen whistling, his hair still wet from a recent shower. Completely oblivious to the nature his family members' good mood, he headed straight to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of milk. Then, still not being aware of the intense attention and observation he was under, he reached inside a box of cereal, retrieved a handful of cocoa puffs, stuffed them into his mouth and washed the whole thing down with a long pull from the milk, the spilling liquid running down his face and his naked chest.

Under normal circumstances the women would have already had objected, but in the promise of such scandal, they couldn't care less.

"Morning, sunshine", Rebekah sing-songed.

"Morning, Becks", he winked at his sister, and proceeded to continue with the cocoa puffs where he'd left off.

"Hungry, Kol?", Finn asked indifferently. A little too indifferently.

"Like a wolf."

"I wonder why is that?", Sage wondered loudly.

At this point even the usually oblivious Kol realized something was amiss. He looked around his family carefully, not knowing what to expect.

"I didn't sleep much, I guess."

"Trust me, I know that", Finn interfered, then put on his best poker face for the fatal blow. "Do you know how thin the walls are in this house, _neighbor_?"

The realization dawning upon Kol's face was all it took for Bekah and Sage to break into a hysterical laughter once again. Kol whispered "Oh, shit" first, but then shrugged and started to laugh too. Even Finn chuckled a bit good-heartedly; the only one remaining silent was Elijah. He waited until the rest of them had their fun, then cleared his throat.

"You don't have to bother with the details, we have all met Vicky on her way out", he said dryly. "The only question is... What would Katherine say about this?"

Kol looked as equally puzzled as the rest of them.

"Uhh... Who?"

"Don't play dumb, brother. I had the pleasure of meeting your girlfriend yesterday."

* * *

 _A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the wait, I have been very busy this week. But here I am now, back with some laughter and some drama, so enjoy! I have very explicit plans about how the rest of this story will go down, and damn, I can't wait to share it with you! I'm so excited! p.s. I totally shipped Sage and Finn when I watched the show and was so sad to see their story come to such a tragic and ungrateful end, so now that I can, I'll give them the story they deserve! Hope you like them all happy and domestic as much as I do :)_


	14. Fool me once

"Don't play dumb, brother. I had the pleasure of meeting your girlfriend yesterday."

"My... what? Sorry, for a moment I almost thought you said girlfriend. I still must be drunk."

"Your girlfriend, Katherine Pierce. I can remember her just fine." Choosing to ignore his borther's uncomprehending and empty stare, Elijah crossed his arms in front of the burgundy tie running down his chest, his unsmiling face never giving away any hidden thoughts or intentions. "Tall, brunette, arrogant, and desperately searching for your bed. Still not ringing any bell?"

Much later, when all the misunderstandings were be cleared, they would recall that exact moment and their biggest regret would be that none of them had the mind to randomly shoot a picture of them. Rebekah's reaction was undoubtedly priceless; the rest of them could almost hear her jaw hitting the floor. Kol didn't look bad either – like a particularly slow child trying hard to comprehend the essence of quadratic equations for the first time.

It was Sage who eventually broke the stunned silence by letting out an amused whistle.

"The Petrova girl, huh? You're a lucky one, kid." Her intense stare almost bored a hole into her still speechless brother in law, slightly tilting her head while trying to figure out his deal. "And you're pressing your luck by banging that Vicky chick on the side? Lucky, but not so smart, after all", she decided with a scoff.

Kol slowly looked around, taking in every one of his family members with slight hopelessness in his eyes, clearly thinking they had succumbed to some kind of madness or were high on drugs. He couldn't think of a more logical explanation for the scene unfolding before his unbelieving ears and eyes. Eventually settling his gaze on Elijah, he asked incredulously, "What the everloving fuck are you talking about?"

But now it was Elijah's turn to frown in confusion and stare at Sage. "The Petrova girl? Pierce, not Petrova."

"Katherine Pierce. Katerina Petrova. One and the same." She let out a small, almost sad breath. "It's a tragic tale, really", continued in an overly dramatic tone, but left the story unfinished, letting the last sentence hang myseriously in the air.

Although Rebekah didn't really know Katherine, neither particularly cared about her as they didn't run in the same circles, Sage's statement promised a scandal worthy of further investigation.

"Oh, come on, don't be such a tease", she almost pouted. "What's her story? Do tell!"

"I'm surprised you haven't heard yet. It's been years, but still... Don't you cheerleaders gossip nowadays? Please don't tell me your kind have learned how to grow a brain after all."

"Ha-ha. Very funny", Rebekah shot a dark, loathing look at the smirking redhead, but her eyes lit up. She was truly in her element when it came to a good spar with a competent opponent. "To think of it, I haven't heard anything scandalous just that it's better not to cross paths with her because she can be a straight up bitch. I figured something must be seriously messed up about Pierce because a girl like that normally wouldn't be pushed to the sidelines."

"A girl like that? What kind of girl she is?", Finn inquired and his wife immediately rolled her eyes jokingly at his lack of knowledge in high school psychology.

"Bekah means she's too hot to be unpopular. And she's right. Once Katerina Petrova was one of the most popular girls in Mystic Falls. Captain of the cheerleading team, too. She, along with her sisters, was the queen of the school, up until the accident."

"What accident?", they asked in chorus, their curiousity definitely piqued.

"The accident and the linvestigation that followed provided the scandal of the century for the town. No, not only for the town. As far as I remember, the story made national news."

"So that's why the name sounds so familiar", Elijah muttered.

"Must be. Anyway, it started about five years ago. The Petrovas – Igor and Cassandra – run a middle-sized company that secured them a good life and a respected status in the high _-ish_ society. They were also known to be the parents of the beautiful Petrova triplets, Elena, Tatiana and Katerina." Sage calculated a pause, clearly enjoying the role of the dramatic storyteller. "If it wasn't for Igor's passion for gambling, they would've grown old as a happy and modestly wealthy family. But unfortunately there was nothing Igor enjoyed more than cards and roulette and all kinds of hazarding. Cassandra only made things worse as she lived for the luxury she couldn't really afford. By the time it became obvious how little control they had over the situation, they were on the brink of bankruptcy. Almost no cash left, mortgage on the house, business not generating enough income to cover the losses. Then he started to play dirty, got involved in funny business transactions, at that point allegedly just to stay afloat. He and Cassandra were this close to be charged with fraud and embezzlement when one night their house burned down to ashes while the whole family slept inside. None of them survived, except for Katerina."

"I remember this case know", Elijah broke the silence. "I remember following it closely. I've almost forgotten how fascinated I was by it as a law student."

"Why?" Finn asked. "I mean it's tragic, but accidents like this sometimes happen."

"That's the thing. There has been some not so subtle speculation that it was nothing more than an insurance fraud since no body has ever been found."

"That's not true. Remains of at least one body _were_ found. Tatiana's or Elena's? Undetermined to this day. But it's still one of their girls. It's impossible to accuse them of faking their own death when at least one of their children has burned to death in that house. I think it's safe to say that their remains couldn't be found because they were burnt too badly. I think simply nothing remained of them in the fire."

The silence was heavy as the reality of what they've just heard sank in. Kol was the first to speak up.

"How did it become an insurance fraud?", he asked, turning to Sage curiously.

"That's when the story gets really interesting for Katerina. Turns out Igor and Cassandra had massive life insurances. And when I say massive, I mean massive", she made a gesture with her hand. "It's clear now how close they were to bankruptcy before the accident, thanks to the police investigation and the fact-finding articles having been published on them, but at that time it wasn't so well known. Somehow Igor had succesully kept the insurance company in complete darkness. So when they all died except for Katerina, she became heiress to a shit ton of money which the creditors couldn't touch. But she was 16, and she had almost no-one left, except for a young aunt freshly out of Bulgaria who was far from being a hundred percent right in the head."

"You mean... she was crazy?" Rebekah asked in amusement. This story just kept getting better and better.

"I wouldn't call Amara crazy. More like... impulsive. She made a lot of bad choices on impulse. And she was naive. On top of that, she was paranoid and irrational. Sometimes she was scared. Sometimes she scared everyone."

"So she was crazy."

"Maybe. Maybe not. But whatever she was, she wasn't an ideal guardian for an obscenely rich and instable 16 year old girl who just lost her whole family."

"Agreed. What happened to her?" Even Elijah was unable to keep his cool. The story was fascinating.

"Probably thanks to the free access to Katerina's inheritance, she became hooked on drugs and in the end she OD-d. It was about two weeks before Katerina's eighteenth birthday. Her body survived, but that's about it. Mentally she's gone. Amara is nothing more than an empty shell now, hidden away in an institution.

"Now that's one hell of a story", Rebekah whispered with wide eyes, to which Sage only chuckled darkly in response.

"And it doesn't end there. As soon as she hit 18, Katerina, then a high scool senior emptied her bank accounts, took a plane to only God knows where and hasn't come back for more than two years, practically without a penny. Where has she been? What has she done? Where has the money gone? No one knows. She never talks to anyone. She doesn't have friends except for the Forbes girl. All I know is that as soon as she got back, she legally changed her name to Katherine Pierce and went back to high school to finish her senior year."

"This was a touching and messed up story, but I still don't get one thing", Kol started, stretching out on the soft cushion like a lazy cat. "How exactly has this girl become my hypothethical girlfriend? Because I swear I've talked to her about twice in my entire life and one of them was like, _Got it, ma'am_ , when she threatened to skin me if I tried to hit on her again."

Elijah couldn't help laughing out loud at the account of the memory. Even Rebekah acknowledged Katherine's fierceness with a sideways smile.

"Did she really try to get into my bed?", Kol pressed the question, an all too familiar burning forming in his eyes. For a moment Elijah wanted to kick him for it. Or himself, for telling his brother about his encounter with Katherine. Or for not believing her when she said there was nothing between them. But if there wasn't, then what did she just- "Because dark, crazy past or not, I would totally hit that. Even more so."

Elijah threw him a long, calculating look, contemplating what to say next. For a minute he seriously considered grabbing his own grinning, idiotic borther like a jealous boyfriend, look him in the eye and say someting like _Don't you dare, you little shit._ or _I wouldn't, if I was you, Kol dearest. Unless you are too bored with your life._ , but he made those thoughts go away as fast as they came. When did they come from, anyway?

He broke into a lazy smile instead. "You know what, brother? Now that you ask, my memory is a bit foggy from last night. Why don't you ask her? Knowing the history of you two, I predict a positive outcome."

If his brother wants to have his ass kicked by Katherine Pierce, then so be it. Meanwhile he'll find out what the girl was looking for in his bedroom.

Because he was sure of one thing: she was up to no good. And she lied to him. Effortlessly.

 _Fool me once, Katerina._

Her real name echoed in his mind long after he stood up and left the room, curious eyes upon him.

* * *

 _A/N: Hey guys, I'm soooooo sorry for the long wait. I wasn't prepared for the hell I'd have to go through in my last semester, seriously, it was a shitshow and a nightmare and I had zero time for my hobbies. Good thing is that it's over now, I've finished law school a week ago and I'm still alive (barely). Obviously I have to work, but from now on I'll have more time to write, I promise. Not saying I'll update ever day or every two days, but you can expect at least one update per week (more if I have the time). I hope you are still interested in this story, after all. If not, I'm sorry I let you down._

 _About the story: I knew when I started to write Operation Rebekah where I was going with it and I still do; basically I just picked up the thread where I stopped in March. This is how I imagined this chapter from the beginning, I know it's a bit dark, but it's a crucial part of my story - hope you don't mind it turned out a little heavier than the previous chapters. Anyway, for those who asked for it: **next chapter is Klaroline!** (But I feel like I should emphasize at this point that this story is as much about Kalijah as it is about Klaroline. Please don't complain if you only read it for Klaroline and a chapter or two doesn't feature them. I'll not change or skip parts of my story just to please some of you.)_

 _Also please keep in mind that I'm from Europe and this is not my native language so please be easy on me about the grammar and phrasing mistakes. I also wondered whether the story about Katherine and her family are legally realistic or not for you. It could be in my country, but the legal system here is very different from the US legal system, so idk. If it's a bunch of bullshit for you who live in the US, I'm sorry._

 _I see that this story now has some followers - if any of you are interested in beta-ing, feel free to PM me. It would save a lot of time for me and you'd have to wait less for the chapters._

 _Until next chapter, xxx Tanya_


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